Sunday, August 27, 2017: After a short respite in our motel we got off again, to town. We had really wanted to go back and explore Falls Park and the spectacular waterfalls as well as the sculptures of the “sculpture walk” in downtown Sioux Falls, and Mary also wanted to press more pennies: quite a tight schedule. In this post here I just want to talk about our visit to Falls Park, as there are quite a few pictures to show. All the rest then in one or more upcoming articles.

All right the, off we are to the park and the waterfalls, where we, as Mary writes, “admire nature’s rocky, wet, roaring wonder.” This is, what it looks like from the observation tower, late in the afternoon:

Falls Park, and the Big Sioux River’s Falls in Sioux Citiy, As Seen from the Observation Tower of the Visitors’ Centre

And now simply more pictures in a gallery:

Und jetzt einfach weitere Bilder in einer Galerie:

Falls Park, Visitors’ Centre and Observation Tower

Bison Sculpture

:Monarch of the Plains” – Mary Took This Close-Up

Big Sioux River Waterfalls

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks

Big Sioux River Waterfalls

Rushing Waters

Rushing Waters

The Big Falls

Misting Waters

Falls Park

Big Falls

Rushing Waters

Big Falls

Rushing Waters

Side Falls

Side Falls

Above the Main Falls

Above tyhe Main Falls

The Upper Part with the Smaller Falls

Quite Rocky Bottom

Above the Main Falls

What a Quiet Stream It Becomes just after the Falls

We were somewhat hungry by then, and thus we decided to have an early supper in a little bistro-type restaurant, the “Falls Overlook Café”, in the engine house of the former corn mill [which, btw, never managed to work profitably], sandwiches “only”, but boy, they weren’t small at all – quite the contrary. And they tasted delicious! I washed mine down with a Shiner Bock. And the crowning finish for a perfect meal was ice cream on the outside patio overlooking the falls. Quite a fantastic late afternoon!

I have to quote Mary again here: “Yummy yum! Our food is delicious and the folks working there are nice, helpful, and friendly. AND they have Shiner Bock on the menu. So Pit happily orders one to go with his meal, a ‘Dakota Cuban’: wheat bread, pork shoulder sliced, cob ham, Swiss cheese, pickle slices, and mustard. Sandwich comes with potato chips. I have smashed avocado atop sunflower seed bread and avocado spread is drizzled with balsamic glaze. Yum! Also Pit and I share basket of hot, delicious French Fries and garlic aioli. Gosh, these fries are great! And aioli is soooooo garlicy! We do have dessert! ICE CREAM! We go outside on patio that overlooks Sioux Falls on Big Sioux River. We each have double scoop cup, sitting on patio in late-day sun, watching the falls. Sighhhhhappy! Pit has French vanilla and chocolate for his 2 scoops; I have chocol;ate and Pecan praline. Ever so creamy and yummy!”

After this culinary delight we go on and walk around the park more, climbing over rocks near the water, and at the end we get up on the platform of the viewing tower of the visitors’ centre, from where we enjoy the park in the evening sunshine and the skyline of the city:

Wow, Pit, these are some beautiful waterfalls. I love them. Those block-like rocks surrounding it make it especially scenic. Your lunch looks delicious too; I’d love what Mary had. I think I have to put Sioux Falls on my list! 🙂

These waterfalls really were something! Unfortunately, too many people around. 😦 But still, it was quite a sight.
I’d like to go back to Sioux Falls myself, and do the whole Sioux Falls Bike Trail, 27 miles, asphalt only, all round the city, mostly in parks and park-like environment.

It seems there are always a lot of people around at waterfalls, Pit. I guess there are so few that are dramatic, so people flock to them in droves. The Sioux Falls Bike Trail sounds like fun. I guess you’ll have to go back! 🙂

Shiner Bock………..LOL…………I haven’t had a Shiner Bock since I graduated from Texas A&M University in 1978. Funny thing, though, just last weekend I found a place here in San Diego that has Shiner Bock on draft.

I like that brew. But I also like the German beers, especially the Pilseners Warsteiner and Bitburger, which – luckily – I can get here on draft. Besides those, we have 3 good local breweries. And then there’s Tecate and Dos Equis. Those Mexicans can do good beers, too.
I’m planning to write a blog post [another one, that is] about beers soon.

It’s a really fantastic park!
As to avocados: I’m not into “smashed” avocados. I really don’t like that puree kind of stuff. e.g. like the Guacamole you get at Mexican restaurants here. But I do like an avocado sandwich: 1 sl. of bread [any hearty type for me will do], rub it wit a clove of garlic, drizzle some olive oil over it, and then put slices of avocado on [half an avocado for 1 sl. of bread], and then, if you want, add a inch of salt and maybe some herbs. Yummy. And healthy.

Thanks, Amy, for the compliment. You know what the most difficult task was for this post? – Weeding out the pictures of the waterfall. 😉 I had so many of them! I’ll show some in my other blog soon, some b&w, and some really grainy ones with EasyHDR, but wheren the grain contributes to the effect, to my mind.
Should you ever get up to Sioux Falls, I’m sure you’ll spend hours walking around the falls and taking pictures.